Krista Baisch is the member of a team of attorneys representing the counties. Baisch says 64 of Wisconsin's 72 counties are included in the suit.

"The counties are bearing the brunt of of the cost of that epidemic in the services they provide and they don't have the ability to increase funds to pay for the additional services that are needed to provide for this opioid epidemic," said Baisch.

Because of the opioid crisis, critics have blamed doctors, opioid users and pharmaceutical companies.

Purdue Pharma, one of the pharmecutical companies named in the lawsuit released a statement last month that said, "We have restructured and significantly reduced our commercial operation and our sales representatives will no longer promote opioids to prescribers."

Baisch points toward the lawsuit as at least one reason for the company's change.

"It is very clear that this litigation is taking major steps in the decrease of prescriptions on a national level and that has never been done before," Baisch said.

Despite the opioid epidemic, numbers from the state show a downward trend.

A statement from Governor says in part, "A 20 percent decrease in opioid prescriptions shows how seriously our prescribers and law enforcement take the opioid epidemic, and I remain committed to ensuring they have the tools and resources necessary to continue their good work."